‘American Idol’ announces move from Los Angeles to Georgia
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“American Idol” contestants hoping to make it in Hollywood won’t have to compete there.
Season 25 of ABC’s reality singing competition series is relocating from California to Georgia, production company Fremantle confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The show has been filmed at the Red Studios Hollywood lot in Los Angeles for more than two decades.
Returning judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, along with longtime host Ryan Seacrest, will film in the Atlanta area, according to Fremantle. ABC has not explained its decision to move production across the country, and Fremantle declined to share any additional details.
Auditions for Season 25 began Aug. 25, with “Idol” producers scouting talent virtually across all 50 states and Washington, DC, through the show’s Idol Across America search. The open-call process concludes on Sept. 28.
When does ‘American Idol’ return?
“American Idol” Season 25 is expected to premiere in January 2027, though ABC has not shared an exact premiere date.
Episodes stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, and during live shows, episodes will be available to stream on Disney+. They must be legal U.S. residents born from June 2, 1997, to Feb. 15, 2012.
Hopeful contestants can audition for the show at americanidol.com/auditions.
Who won ‘American Idol’ Season 24?
“American Idol” Season 24 concluded on May 11, awarding a $250,000 prize and recording contract to winner Hannah Harper, who was victorious against finalists Keyla Richardson and Jordan McCullough.
“I’m a puddle right now,” Harper told USA TODAY an hour after her win. “All the sacrifices have been made [by my family] to make this happen. Had it not been for my husband … that poor man has sacrificed his entire life.”
She continued: “Every part of normalcy he had – to uproot life and bring our whole family here and live out of a hotel for two months – just so I could do this meant everything to me. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay him for that. He’s not the only one; my parents also. I just feel like my village is growing now.”
Harper, who became the first female country artist to win the show since Underwood in 2005, connected with viewers through an original song about postpartum depression titled “String Cheese.”
“Knowing that I could connect with other women who were feeling the same as me – women and men, really – that meant everything to me,” she said. “And that I had the opportunity to share my ministry, basically, and my relationship with the Lord, all of those things are precious to me. So every step of the way has been awesome.”
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY